2011 A-Level Results Release

"All's fair in love and war...... and exams..."


The 2011 A-Level Results were released last Friday but I wasn't there to watch everything that happened on that day. I read the newspaper the following day and managed to take a peek at the names of the top students of each Junior Colleges. Not that I know either of them, but it wouldn't hurt to know such stuff. Besides the usual prestigious JCs such as HJC, VJC, and so on, one particular JC drew my attention. It was my very own college, Innova JC. Though being the newest college in Singapore and accepting a wide range of students in terms of results, it was printed there in the newspaper that there were six top students from Innova. I personally feel that it was a stellar performance from these students, who definitely brought our college so much more renown and pride. I really aspire to be one of them, during my year of course. Gotta have FAITH right?


Though I wasn't present when the results were released, I can pretty much imagine how the situation was, for the J2s as well as for the cohort receiving their results. It's just about the same as the release of the O-Level results when I was Sec 3 and was 'invited' to view the entire process. The stress and pressure that is on those taking the results, and also those who will soon be in the same situation the following year. Perhaps this time, it is a lot more serious.


After reading the newspaper and being informed that my college produced such quality top students, I believed that the entire college cohort that took the examination last year did exceptionally well too. However, I was proved wrong today. My principal gave a speech during morning assembly today, about the release of the A-Level results last Friday. According to her speech, there were numerous achievements of the cohort that took the exams. H2 Biology, H2 History, H2 Physics, H1 Mathematics (and others that I have forgotten) all have increased pass and distinction rate. It didn't sound bad at all, until she said something that shook the foundations of our belief. Only 50% of the cohort can get into university. That means one out of two can't get into a university.


To say the very least, I was shocked. How did they do so well in their exams that they improved the pass and distinction rate of prominent subjects but half of them can't make it into university? What exactly are we up against? Those students from the top JCs? And foreign scholars? University is what we all are aiming for since Day One when we decided to enrol in a JC. We can't be going anywhere else but university with an A-Level certificate. This mindset has been drilled into us several times. We are heading to the university, period. But statistics sure isn't doing well for my college in terms of hitting the University Admission Criteria.


My principal stressed to the J2s as well as us J1s to start making the effort now. She is planning to raise the percentage from 50% to 80%. That may seem a little too much of a far cry, but it has to be done. I will be taking the exam for H1 Chinese and Project Work this year, and my other core subjects next year. Everything starts now. It's now or never.


Today, when my class had finished our Economics tutorial lesson, our Literature lecturer who is also our tutor, strode into the classroom, somehow creating a tense and moody atmosphere. It was still rather chilling in the morning, as I recall. I had a question for him, since I did not recall that the principal had said anything about Literature pass and distinction rates improving or even maintaining. But before I could say anything, he gave everybody his answer. The usual impressive grades of H2 Literature of our previous cohorts in this college were diminished. Or shall I say swept away. The national average of distinction rate in H2 Literature was 40+%. My college had previously held higher than national average distinction rates, and now it had dropped tremendously to a pitiful 8%. 8% of eighty-five students who took H2 Literature from our college, is six people. 6 out of 85 scored an 'A' grade. Perhaps there was nothing I can say to describe my Literature lecturer's utter disappointment.


He reminded us to shake away the failures of the previous cohort, to look towards the future, so that we can get into a university, by any means. Best if we can actually get into a university of OUR choice. After his strong speech, I just feel obliged to score well in Literature, and of course ALL the other subjects. I may not have done Literature in depth before, but I ain't gonna give up when the going gets tough. I made my choice to come into a JC, I made my choice to experience the hell here, and eventually get into a university and into a course I wanna take. I don't know who is going where, but I am quite positive towards where I am heading to. Full steam ahead!